Wednesday, July 24, 2019

God is the Strength of my Heart




Lord help me not yield to discouragement.
Help me to battle unbelief
When I am weak and my strength is spent
You are my rescue and my relief

My flesh and my heart may fail,
When it seems the world will surely prevail
When I am weary of my own endeavor,
God is the strength of my heart
God is the strength of my heart
God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever.

I feel so helpless and unable to cope.
My body is weary and my heart almost dead.
I am hanging and dangling at the end of my rope
Then I find I am held by an unbreakable thread

Bridge:
So whatever the reason
For this difficult season
You are my sword, and you are my shield
I will trust God and I will not yield.
Revive my soul! my soul restore!
My heart was exhausted, but you refresh it once more
It was dying of thirst and ready to fall
To the living water, God led my soul
And my life was revived
So I will follow as long as I am alive...

My flesh and my heart may fail,
When it seems the world will surely prevail
When I am weary of my own endeavor,
God is the strength of my heart
God is the strength of my heart
God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever.

Psalm 73:26
Anthony Foster
July 24, 2019

I Will Follow You




To know Christ leads is blessedness
His care and comfort I confess
Whatever I do, wherever I am
I still am led by Jesus' hand.

When in the depths of deep despair
In triumph you lead me even there.
Here in the tempest or in paths of peace
His nail scarred hand I'll not release.

Through the valley of shadows You lead me
In the depths of my hunger You feed me
Lord, You provide for all my needs
And when I fail You intercede
When blood was required You chose to bleed
So I will follow You.

Lord, I would clasp your healing hand
then I have no need to understand
The mysteries life has reserved for me
For while you lead I need not see.

When my journey on this earth is done,
When, by your grace, the vict’ry’s won,
Then death’s embrace I will not fear
For then he 'll surely draw me near.

Through the valley of shadows You lead me
In the depths of my hunger You feed me
Lord, You provide for all my needs
And when I fail, You intercede
When blood was required You chose to bleed
So I will follow You.
Yes I will follow You,
Oh, I will follow You!

Anthony Foster
July 24, 2019

Friday, July 12, 2019

Man of Sorrows


Man of Sorrows, spotless lamb
All our guilt and shame you bore
Redeemed us from the hellbound damned
Opened  to us heavens door!
Man of Sorrows, man of grief
Crushed for our iniquities
You’re our refuge and relief
Pierced for our Sin to set us free

Man of Sorrows, weep for me
Bear my burdens and my pain
Sins penalty you reap for me
And your loss becomes my gain.
Man of Sorrows so abused
The Suffering servant is revealed
Innocent, you were accused
By your woundings we are healed

Afflicted and oppressed for me
Rejected by man and despised
The result of His suffering God shall see
And He shall be satisfied
He was lifted up to die
Though he had done no violence
Cut off from life for such as I
He is my Righteous recompense

Man of Sorrows in your tomb
The God of Life Death could not hold
Vindicated you spelled Death’s doom
And so the good news must be told!
For now on High he intercedes
He is exalted on the throne
So we extol His mighty deeds
Till he returns to call us Home!

July 13, 2019
Anthony Foster

Crossbearer


Draw us in to life eternal
Set our feet on solid ground
Guard our hearts from trials external
Take  us, shake us, break us down
Till you become our one desire
Set apart with holy fire
Help us lose our lives that they may be found!

Our heart exploits our mind
Our wants to justify
Taking up your cross
Doesn’t mean things denied
But to come to disdain
Your own authority crucified
To where no rights remain
For the sovereign’s sake
Till we follow His lead again
As the world our heart breaks

It is dying  to self and to living a lie
Willing to suffer, to sacrifice
Willing to take up our cross and to die
For the precious pearl of great price
A cross often worn but rarely borne
No moderate participation can suffice
For now our very life is Christ

July 13, 2019
Anthony Foster

Satisfied In the Crucified




It is a deep and wonderful thing
To lay hold of the God
Who makes the heart sing
To lay hold of the way, the truth, and life
That lays hold of you as an offering.

It is a deep and wonderful thing
To apprehend life
In the cleansing dayspring
Flowing forth from the giving, living stone
To quench One thirst a fresh thirst to bring

Chor
To the cup of salvation  we are led
On the bread of heaven we are fed
I am satisfied in the crucified
To taste the beauty of the cross
The yes and amen are never lost.
And Endless ages lie ahead
And Endless ages lie ahead

It is a deep and wonderful thing
To take up a cross
And then follow the King
For his yoke is easy and burden light
He will lift up his child on eagles wings.

Chor
To the cup of salvation  we are led
On the bread of heaven we are fed
I am satisfied in the crucified
To taste the beauty of the cross
The yes and amen are never lost.
And Endless ages lie ahead
And Endless ages lie ahead

Anthony Foster

How Much I Owe




When this passing world is done,
When has sunk yon glaring sun;
When I stand with Christ in glory,
Looking o’er life’s finished story,
Then, Lord, shall I fully know—
not till then, how much I owe.

Every ounce of faith, he has given
Every moment granted is a grace
Every failure he has now forgiven
Every hope to which I set my face
Every good work that has found His favor
All I am and ever hope to be
I will only boast in Christ my savior
For it is not I but Christ in me

When I stand before the throne,
Dressed in beauty not my own;
When I see Thee as Thou art,
Love Thee with un-sinning heart;
Then, Lord, shall I fully know,
not till then, how much I owe.

All to Christ I owe, all to Christ I owe
Whatever I do and wherever I go
All to Christ All to Him I owe

Every ounce of faith, he has given
Every moment granted is a grace
Every failure he has now forgiven
Every hope to which I set my face
Every good work that has found His favor
All I am and ever hope to be
I will only boast in Christ my savior
For it is not I but Christ in me

After-Robert Murray M'Cheyne
Chorus by Anthony Foster
July 8, 2019